When making reservations or checking in, ask if your age, employment situation, professional affiliation, motoring association membership or credit card scheme qualifies you for a preferred rate. (if not, ask what does.) At big city hotels, enquire about seasonal savings and weekend discounts.
For low rates in city centres, check into a YMCA/YWCA. Youth hostels round the whole of Britain generally offer good rates, too.
Consider bed-and-breakfast alternatives; many guide books describe the ever-growing options, from a room with a shared bath in a private home to a nicely appointed suite with a private bath in a grander, less intimate hotel.
Are you travelling abroad? For information on unusual accommodation in places such as castles, villas, farmhouses and canal boats, contact the country's tourist board in London or a reputable travel agent.
House swapping is a possibility for a longer trip; put an ad in the classified section of the newspaper of your intended destination. Or take advantage of listings from the tourist board or travel agencies.
How to find a house swap